RELATED NEWS/ARCHIVE

I remain amazed ABC is debuting a new show with such a lame title. And it is heart warming to see stars such as Josh Duhamel (Leo Du Pres), Eva La Rue (Maria Santos), Thorsten Kaye (Zach Slater), Carol Burnett (Verla Grubbs), have agreed to return for AMC's final weeks in the sun.

I'm no big fan of soap operas. But I feel a pang as the death of this form accelerates -- mostly because it seems the networks are hellbent on replacing them with even dumber material.

Still, we seem on the precipice of the beginning of the end. So check out the press releases below.

And please, feel free to mock any and all details.

ABC WILL BROADCAST ITS FINAL EPISODE OF “ALL MY CHILDREN” FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

ABC will broadcast its final episode of the Daytime Emmy Award-winning drama series, “All My Children,” on Friday, September 23. The iconic series will end in a manner that respects the show’s legacy and honors its history.

Out of love and respect for the show, many beloved actors will be returning to Pine Valley, including Josh Duhamel (Leo Du Pres), Eva La Rue (Maria Santos), Thorsten Kaye (Zach Slater), Carol Burnett (Verla Grubbs), Kate Collins (Janet Green), Jennifer Bassey (Marion Chandler), Melissa Claire Egan (Annie Chandler) and Leven Rambin (Lily Montgomery), among others yet to be announced. Final episodes will celebrate the stories of the families that fans have grown to know and love over the years.

Recently nominated for a total of 13 Daytime Emmy Awards in 2011 and hallmarked for its iconic brand of humor and satire, “All My Children” has been prized with more than 30 Daytime Emmy Awards over the past four decades, including the three-time top honor of Outstanding Drama Series. January 5th, 2011, marked the celebration of 41 years on the air for “All My Children.” Praised for its socially conscious foundation, the show has been at the forefront of such issues as AIDS, rape, abortion, alcoholism, spousal abuse and racial bias, among others.

Created by Agnes Nixon, “All My Children” premiered on the ABC Television Network on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. Julie Hanan Carruthers is executive producer with Lorraine Broderick as head writer. “All My Children” is produced in Los Angeles and airs MONDAY-FRIDAY (1:00-2:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

“THE CHEW” TO DEBUT MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 AT 1:00 P.M., ET ON ABC

ABC’s new, one-hour lifestyle series “The Chew” will debut live MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 at 1:00 p.m., ET. It’s a party in the kitchen each and every afternoon, as “The Chew” celebrates and explores life through food. Bringing together a diverse panel of co-hosts that includes restaurateurs and “Iron Chef” stars Mario Batali and Michael Symon, entertaining expert Clinton Kelly, “Top Chef” alum Carla Hall and health & wellness enthusiast Daphne Oz, “The Chew” brings viewers smart and intelligent talk that engages the audience in a daily dose of food, life and fun with conversations about everything from cooking, holidays and home entertaining to food trends like food trucks and urban gardens.

"The Chew” is the first new series to launch on ABC Daytime in 14 years and expands the focus of the lineup to include more programming that is informational and authentic and centered on transformation, food and lifestyle – cornerstones of programming that resonate with daytime viewers and their viewing patterns.

Today “The Chew” launches its “Ultimate Food Lover’s Sweepstakes,” with one lucky Grand Prize Winner receiving an all-expenses paid trip to New York City. The winner and a guest will attend a taping of “The Chew,” dine at Lupa and Del Posto, two of Mario Batali’s signature restaurants, and receive a $250 gift certificate to Eataly, the largest Italian artisanal food and wine marketplace in the world. 50 First-Prize Winners will receive a prize pack, courtesy of “The Chew,” filled to the brim with the co-hosts’ cookbooks and other delicious surprises.

To enter the “Ultimate Food Lover’s Sweepstakes,” visit the official Facebook page for “The Chew” at Facebook.com/thechewonabc or visit ABC.com. No purchase necessary. The official rules can be found at abc.com.

Celebrating and exploring life through food, “The Chew” is an innovative and groundbreaking daytime program co-hosted by a dynamic group of engaging, fun, relatable experts in food, lifestyle and entertaining. Produced by Gordon Elliott’s Chew Productions for the ABC Television Network, “The Chew” serves up everything food -- from cooking and home entertaining to food trends, restaurants, holidays and more, all aimed at making life better, fuller and more fun. Featuring celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Michael Symon and Carla Hall, lifestyle expert Clinton Kelly and fresh face of healthy living Daphne Oz, “The Chew” is a leap forward into a delicious new kind of talk show.